Power Rangers in Space
Power Rangers in Space (often abbreviated as "PRIS" or referred to as "In Space") was a television show, the sixth season of Power Rangers. It was the first full season of Power Rangers to be handled by show runners Judd Lynn and Jonathan Tzachor. It was loosely based on, and involved footage from, the Japanese television show Denji Sentai Megaranger (or Electromagnetic Task Force MegaRanger), the twenty-first Super Sentai series. The show was a turning point in the history of the Power Rangers franchise, as the season brought about the end of six years worth of storylines and was the ending of the practice of having the Power Rangers be a continuous serial-style show with a regular cast that carried over from one season to the next. It was supposedly going to be the last season, but due to major ratings, they succeeded and went on to making a new season. Production Judd Lynn went ahead with the "space war" storyline in spite of the problems with the Megaranger footage. A great deal of the budget would be spent creating cheap green screen space footage for the Zords traveling in space as well as shooting new fight scenes with the Space Rangers which were tinted a different color for broadcast so as to create the appearance of the battles taking place on alien worlds. Two team-up episodes were commissioned along the way bringing Blake Foster (Justin from Power Rangers Turbo) and Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam, succeeding Zack as the second Black Power Ranger, Green Zeo and Original Green Turbo Ranger) to the show to try and tie up loose ends. The Phantom Ranger, who's identity was never revealed in Turbo, was also brought back for a multi-episode arc, but plans to reveal his identity fell through due to budget problems forced Lynn to cut the episode where his identity was to be revealed. Also, the show would be the first Power Rangers series to be completely serialized, in that the series was the first series to rely on a continuing plot that unfolds episode by episode. This series also featured plot devices and storylines never before seen in a Power Rangers series. The series is also highly regarded for being the first Power Rangers series to feature sympathetic and multi-dimensional villains in the form of Astronema and Ecliptor. Astronema was Red Space Ranger Andros' sister, Karone, who was kidnapped by the cruel Darkonda as a child and raised by the cyborg Ecliptor to be the evil Dark Spectre's harbringer of evil. When Astronema learns the truth about her identity, she is tortured and brainwashed into staying evil by Dark Specter and Darkonda. Ecliptor, who sees himself as Astronema's father due to him raising her, gains a level of depth not seen by many villains on the show when he tries to defend his adopted daughter, only to be cruelly tortured by the sadistic Darkonda, who forces the two to merge into a singular entity, leaving Ecliptor broken both physically and mentally. Synopsis After being defeated by Divatox, the former Turbo Rangers T.J., Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos leave for space in search of their old mentor Zordon and are taken to a strange spaceship. Elsewhere on the Cimmerian Planet, the evil Dark Specter is celebrating his conquest of Eltar with his guests in the United Alliance of Evil: Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, Master Vile, the Machine Empire, Divatox, General Havoc, and their many minions. As the villains enjoy a banquet, an unwelcome guest crashes the party -- a Red Power Ranger. Dark Specter sends his chosen disciple Astronema to pursue and destroy him. As he retreats to the spaceship, the Red Ranger Andros finds the former Turbo Rangers examining the ship. Though he initially doesn't trust his guests, he changes his attitude when they help defend the Astro Megaship from Astronema. As an act of gratitude, Andros gives them all-new Astro Morphers, allowing them to transform into Space Rangers like him. From the Astro Megaship (which can also transform into the Astro Megazord), the Space Rangers patrol the galaxy as they try to locate Zordon and rescue him from Dark Specter, who intends to absorb the sage's power into himself. However, they are frequently forced to postpone the search in order to protect Angel Grove from Astronema, her loyal general (and adopted father) Ecliptor, and the seemingly-immortal bounty hunter Darkonda. Old friends such as Adam Park, Justin Stewart, and the Phantom Ranger come to the Rangers' aid alongside new allies such as D.E.C.A., the Megaship's onboard A.I., and Zhane, the Silver Space Ranger and Andros's childhood friend from their homeworld of KO-35. New resources are also granted in the form of the Delta Megazord, the Mega Voyager, and the Mega Winger. When Andros is able to confront Astronema at one point, he learns to his surprise that she is actually Karone, his sister that had disappeared many years ago when they were children. Darkonda had kidnapped her so that Dark Specter and Ecliptor could raise her in the ways of evil. Though Andros is able to convince Karone to forsake her evil upbringing and return with him to the Astro Megaship, she is recaptured by Darkonda and placed under intense cybernetic brainwashing alongside Ecliptor. With no trace of her former life left in her, Astronema resumes her evil plans by sending down an adversary unlike any other -- the Psycho Rangers, five insane cyborgs programmed to imitate and terminate the Power Rangers. They are all powered by Dark Specter's evil energies, weakening him as part of Astronema's larger plan to kill her master and become the sole ruler of the galaxy. Through many long and arduous battles, the Power Rangers are able to slowly weaken and eventually defeat the Psycho Rangers. As the series comes to a close, Dark Specter rallies his forces and launches a full-scale invasion on the galaxy. The Power Rangers and all their allies from across the galaxy try their hardest to fend off the overwhelming forces but are unable to hold up against the onslaught. However, Dark Specter is assassinated by Darkonda in a suicide attack and Astronema quickly takes advantage of the unexpected diversion by declaring herself to be the new undisputed Queen of Evil. In his last-ditch attempt to end the invasion, Andros infiltrates Astronema's Dark Fortress where he finds Zordon imprisoned. Zordon demands that his energy tube be shattered in order to save the galaxy, but Andros refuses to kill him. However, Astronema and Ecliptor arrive to keep him from doing anything. When Astronema is accidentally killed during the conflict, Ecliptor breaks out of his brainwashing and attacks Andros in rage. Andros is forced to do what must be done and destroys Zordon. In doing so, the sage's purifying energies wash across the entire galaxy, turning all evil it touches into dust. Rita, Zedd, and Divatox are purified and become human instead, and Astronema is also restored to life as Karone. Though Zordon's death comes as a grave loss, the galaxy takes heart in knowing that his legacy will continue to live forever through the Power Rangers. Characters Rangers :Main article:Space Rangers Allies * Alpha 6 * DECA * Commander Kinwon * Tykwa * Karone * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ** Leonardo ** Donatello ** Raphael ** Michaelangelo ** Venus de Milo * Zordon * Seymour * Waspicable Past Rangers Civilians * Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier * Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch * Professor Phenomenus * Adelle Ferguson * Silvy Larson Villains * United Alliance of Evil ** Dark Specter ** Astronema ** Ecliptor ** Elgar ** Darkonda ** Quantrons ** Evil Space Aliens *** Lord Zedd *** Rita Repulsa *** Goldar *** Finster *** Z Putty Patrollers *** Tenga Warriors ** Master Vile ** Machine Empire: *** King Mondo *** Queen Machina *** Prince Sprocket *** Klank & Orbus *** Cogs ** Divatox's Crew *** Divatox *** Rygog *** Porto *** Piranhatrons *** Putra Pods ** General Havoc **List of Monsters ** Psycho Rangers Zords Arsenal * Astro Morpher - Morpher of the Space Rangers, developed on KO-35; utilized for morphing and communication. * Astro Power Weapons - Ranger special weapons; all weapons (except the Red Ranger's Spiral Saber) combine into Quadro Blaster. * Astro Blaster - Standard Ranger sidearm. * Battlizer Gauntlet - Special gauntlet worn by Red Ranger; It possesses 3 functions. ** Delta Megazord controller ** Energized Punches ** Battlizer Armor - grants the Red Ranger an armored battlesuit that fires missiles and the power of flight. * Digimorpher - Morpher used by Silver Ranger. * Super Silverizer - Weapon of the Silver Ranger, serves as blaster and sword. * Galaxy Gliders - Surfboard-like transports used for both atmospheric and interstellar travel. * Silver Cycle - The Galaxy Glider of the Silver Ranger can also serve as a motorcycle. * Megatank - Armored transport used for interplanetary missions. * Galactic Rover - Dune buggy used by the Silver Ranger. Episodes VHS/DVD Releases VHS *Power Rangers In Space (VHS) **''Rangers Gone Psycho'' **''A Rift in the Rangers'' **''Five of a Kind'' **''Silence is Golden'' **''The Enemy Within'' *Power Rangers: Red Alert **''Mission to Secret City'' DVD *The Best of the Power Rangers: The Ultimate Rangers **''Countdown to Destruction, Part 1 & 2'' *Power Rangers In Space (Complete Season) RC2 *Power Rangers: From Mighty Morphin to Lost Galaxy (TimeLife Exclusive) 600 prd power rangers 01.jpg|Power Rangers: From Mighty Morphin to Lost Galaxy (TimeLife Exclusive) Notes * The final battle between Ecliptor and Andros can be seen as an homage to the ending of Super Sentai series Gosei Sentai Dairanger (which had its Zord fight scenes culled for use in the second season of Power Rangers), in which the Ryuuranger (the Red Dairanger) duels with a villain one-on-one to the death, to resolve the season-running conflict once and for all. * This was the last series to take place in Angel Grove, California. Angel Grove would later be revisited in the Operation Overdrive team-up special, "Once a Ranger". * This was the first season to use an orchestric musical score instead of the usual rock used in previous seasons. * These Rangers met the version of the Ninja Turtles featured in Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. * This was the first series to feature a Power Ranger as a blood relative to a lead villain, as Andros and Astronema were siblings. This would be repeated in Power Rangers Ninja Storm with Cam the Green Samurai Ranger and Lothor, who would prove to be nephew and uncle. In Power Rangers Mystic Force, Nick's father, Leanbow, was also an enemy, but not the main one. Similarly, in Power Rangers RPM, the Black Ranger Dillon was the brother of villain Tenaya 7 (later Tenaya 15), she was not the lead villain. '' '' * This is also the first Power Rangers series that would start a trend of adding in non-Sentai equipment for Power Rangers, in order to help market the PR toys that are sold by Bandai. * Although much equipment not seen in Megaranger was used, the Megarangers did have a team power up of golden torso armor, similar to Lost Galaxy's Lights of Orion that was never used in PRiS. *This was the last season to feature bloopers in the ending credits. *"Countdown to Destruction" was the first time the Rangers revealed their identities to the public. *Prior to the second half of Power Rangers In Space, several Megaranger monster costume would make their debut in the special Power Rangers Funniest Moments. *This is the first Power Rangers season where the Rangers wears uniforms. See Also External links * Power Rangers In Space Power Rangers - The Official Power Rangers Website